Artist Statement

My work strives to portray the constant journey of escaping the set of cultural norms that hinder personal and societal growth. This body of work arises from parallels I see between my own experiences and those I have observed in American society.  I use body language to hone in on pivotal moments of both connection and detachment. Hard shapes combined with drawing-like brush strokes within the paintings represent the contrasts that are in all of us.  Acrylic paint, oil pastels, and both panel and canvas surfaces serve together in my work, creating new visual and emotional insights. Bold colors working together reflect my intention of inspiring fearless future choices that can mold a world not driven by ego or fear. My use of materials is always calculated to provoke the viewer to find their own interpretation of the piece. Unexpected avenues or twists are a constant part of life and represented in my work. 

Bio

Brigid McGivern is an artist committed to exploring the inherent properties, color, and luminosity of form in works that move seamlessly between approaches. From naturalist abstraction and neo-expressionist narrative, this artist has created an oeuvre that is compelling in its diversity. McGivern’s primary focus is a unique approach to painting, utilizing signature mixed media methods. With an extensive array of styles and techniques within her art, her aesthetic is vast but always grounded in mood, response, and the physicality of her materials. McGivern uses body language to hone in on pivotal moments of both connection and detachment. Hard shapes combined with drawing-like brush strokes within the paintings represent the contrasts that are in all of us.  As a trained graphic designer and mixed media artist, McGivern says she “finds it crucial that perceived unlikely unions make stunning results”. This is ever present in this series as the paintings go back and forth from abstraction to figurative. Inspiration from images begins each piece and the final work is the imagination of the artist as she changes, adds, subtracts, and manipulates the canvas and materials. McGivern studied Studio Art at Xavier University and Visual Communication at the School of the Art Institute. Her work has been exhibited across the country including NYC, Boston, Miami, and Chicago, and internationally in Bologna, Italy.